Chick-fil-A feeds storm-stranded motorists for free

"Hundreds and hundreds of stranded motorist in Atlanta during and after snow storm.

Atlanta FoxNews

The restaurant owner, Mark Meadows, stood out in the ice and snow and handed out sandwiches to any he could reach on the highway in Alabama.

They closed the restaurant and sent the employees home. When they could not get through they left their cars and walked back to the restaurant. They made hundreds of sandwiches for those stranded.

They were closed for business but they were really busy. They allowed people to sleep in the restaurant on the benches and in the booths - and then they fixed breakfast for them.

Some asked why they would do this when they had a captive customer base of hungry people.

One of the employees, Audrey Pitt, answered the question by saying, “This company is based on taking care of people and loving people before you’re worried about money or profit,” Audrey said.

“We were just trying to follow the model that we’ve all worked under for so long and the model that we’ve come to love. There was really nothing else we could have done but try to help people any way we could.”

Todd Starnes, reporter for FoxNews reports:

“A snowstorm in the South is about as rare as a glass of unsweetened tea at a church supper. Folks around Birmingham, Ala. weren’t all that worried though. The storm was only supposed to dust the city – not even enough powder for a Southern snowman.” They were wrong. Click here for the whole story.

This massive storm hit Alabama and then right over the border into Georgia where hundreds of people were stranded for up to as many as 24 or more hours – no food, no water, and no heat.

Many had given out of gas waiting for the snarl to unsnarl. Families all across Alabama and Georgia were anxious for their loved ones who were stranded and when there was no contact with them.

The mayor of Atlanta, Kasim Reed, reported only minutes ago that there were still motorists stranded after 24 hours. The temperature is expected to drop again tonight and it could bring even more havoc. The danger of black ice – refrozen water on the streets – huge sheets of ice falling from buildings and roofs as well as heavy limbs falling from trees and causing power outages could be forth coming.

The governor of Georgia, Nathan Deal, apologized to the people for having not been more prepared and for not warning the people to stay at home. The biggest mistake was when everyone got the word the storm was really bad and they all headed home at the same time.

Children were stranded in school buses and in schools all across metropolitan Atlanta. One teacher, a relative of mine, was stranded in her second grade class room all night long while at the same time not knowing where her husband was. He had been stranded and it took him over six hours to get home.

One father walked six miles to the school where his child was stranded and spent the night there as well. Many irate parents have become on the defensive and said that in the future if the schools were reported open with an impending storm such at this – their children would not be attending.

Some of the children needed medications which were not available.

A mother lived a nightmare in an ambulance that got stranded for over six hours while she held her six day old baby who was desperately sick. There was nothing the paramedics or parents could do but pray and keep everyone up to date via Facebook.

However, the goodness of folks began to stand out as people opened their homes to strangers, people stood on the side of the road handing out food, and people helping in so many ways.

Some national news commentaries were critical of the storm here in the South; and while they may not be prepared for snow and ice storms like they are up north – there were no shortages of Good Samaritan deeds that sprung up everywhere as people came together to help one another. Southern hospitality does not grow cold when the weather does. ~~~~~

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An Atlanta native, Patricia Walston is a free-lance writer, historian, genealogist, teacher, parent and grandparent. She is all about family. Pat has written award-winning articles and is published in print and online. A mentor in every aspect of family life based on wisdom, experience, faith and Biblical principles, Pat is a storyteller.